Oxley’s first new furniture collection for 5 years, Petrosphere, is inspired by the enigmatic stone spheres left behind by the Neolithic peoples of Scotland. These curious stones are an integral feature in the new design and are a key detail on the armrests of the chairs, sofas and lounge chairs. As well as looking timelessly elegant, they offer a sense of enhanced comfort and relaxation when gripped and handled by anyone seated.
Simon Hudson, Managing Director of Oxley's Furniture, became mesmerised by these ancient artefacts. “It fascinated me that these ancient people went to the trouble of carving intricate patterns in stone just for the sake of it. They must have enjoyed the texture and the reassurance the finished stones gave. From this thought sprang my initial idea for the chair armrest, to have a Petrosphere-like-sphere that can be held and played with as you sit and relax in the chair.”
Oxley’s furniture is designed and built to be as timeless as the Petrospheres themselves. Produced by craftsmen using recycled aluminium, the furniture can be left outdoors all year round and is guaranteed to last a lifetime. Items are exported from Oxley’s factory in the Cotswolds to private residences around the world and Oxley’s collections can also be found in a number of boutique hotels which value the brand’s timeless design, sustainability and lifetime guarantee.
The new furniture is available in 3 sizes consisting of a round table, lounge chairs, sofa and coffee table. It will be available to purchase online from 1st May and will be displayed at the Oxley’s stand WA 186 at the 2024 RHS Chelsea Flower Show from 20-25 May. Do come and try out the new Petrosphere furniture range for yourself!
About Oxley’s Furniture
Oxley’s Furniture is an English manufacturing company, based in the Cotswolds, that has been producing bespoke, luxury aluminium outdoor furniture for 30 years. All Oxley's furniture is made to order from recycled aluminium, we manufacture outdoor furniture in the most sustainable way possible. Our aim has always been to produce timelessly elegant, luxury outdoor furniture that will last for generations.
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Oxley’s furniture have been displaying their outdoor furniture at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for 30 years, demonstrating the company moto of sustainable luxury. Each piece of furniture they have ever made in all those years has been made from 100% recycled aluminium and the company is currently re-recycling furniture that it sold at its first appearance at the show back in 1993.
For this year’s stand Oxley’s have teamed up with JAB International® to promote their wonderful outdoor fabrics complimenting their luxury furniture. Over the summer months Oxley’s Furniture will be displayed at JAB’s London showroom in the Chelsea Harbour, beautifully paired with JAB outdoor fabrics for the cushions.
To further this collaboration between the two companies, Oxley’s will also be promoting JAB carpets. The purely elegant carpets generate fluent transitions between indoors and outdoors, creating a homely atmosphere on terraces, gardens and pool areas.
Simon Hudson, Managing Director of Oxley’s Furniture said: “This is the first time we have worked so closely with one of the world’s eminent outdoor fabric houses. We have put together a display that demonstrates what can be achieved when outdoor luxury fabrics and outdoor luxury furniture work in harmony”.
The RHS are committed to improving their sustainability practice, something that Oxley’s strongly backs. Sustainability is at the core of Oxley’s as a business. By using recycled aluminium, Oxley’s saves 95% of the energy needed to create new aluminium, and due to it being infinitely recyclable it can be used over and over again and won’t lose its quality.
To further their sustainable efforts, Oxley’s offers a unique buy back guarantee that allows customers to buy the furniture they want completely risk free. Once Oxley’s customers have owned their furniture for 12 months, Oxley’s will buy it back for half the original purchase price for the next 10 years. This is a wonderful example of a company working in a truly circular way and taking responsibility for the whole lifecycle of their products.
Oxley’s are delighted to be exhibiting at The RHS Chelsea Flower Show for another year. Please go and find them on stand SR132 and try out their luxuriously sustainable outdoor furniture.
For more information about Oxley’s please visit www.oxleys.com or contact them via [email protected] or 01386 701 894.
Cover image: Scroll sofa double set
Whether it is a space designed specifically for outdoor play or learning environments, or a space to meet and relax, outdoor spaces encourage healthy behaviors and improve the physical and mental wellbeing.
Arper is a fast-growing company founded in 1989 — a family business guided by an integrative, human-centered approach. They have grown from a furniture manufacturing business to an international design presence, dramatically increasing their turnover and adding hundreds of new employees to the Arper family.
Outdoor spaces encourage healthy behaviors, improve the physical and mental wellbeing, and also connect people to the natural world — creating a sense of environmental responsibility.
About Arper UK Ltd
Arper is a leading Italian company that creates chairs, tables, and furnishings for community, work and home. We explore design to improve the relationship between people and spaces. We frame everything—our soft, essential design sensibility, our direct and personalized service, our organizational and corporate policies, our global brand identity—in terms of human values.
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While the name may seem like interior designers are restricted to indoor spaces, they can actually be used for outdoor spaces as well. While some aspects of interior design only apply to indoors, a lot of design elements are just as easily applied to outdoor spaces.
For more about what an interior designer can bring to an outdoor space, read on to find out.
A patio is commonly seen as an extension of the home, so should be designed in collaboration with an interior. This is where an interior designer can bring their skills to an outside space, creating a unified look and feel to the space. Elements such as furniture and flooring are essential to a patio, so an interior designer can help pick items ideal for your vision that will match up with the rest of your house.
Just like they do with interiors, an interior designer can design a patio that maintains a great flow. This is great if you intend to use your patio to socialise regularly. An interior designer's eye for creation will have to be slightly different when working outside, especially in terms of furniture. They’ll have to make sure they think about elements such as the weather, picking items that are durable in the case of high winds and also weather-resistant in the case of rain.
Lighting is another important aspect a designer can help with. Outside spaces are constantly dependent on the weather, with certain parts of it only in sunshine at certain hours of the day. A designer must consider how to light a space so it can be used all day/night and in all weather conditions.
Plants and wildlife have become an essential element of interior design over the years, as many seek to bring the outside inside with plants and other wildlife. This is why a talented interior designer should have the skills to expertly design a space incorporating plants, including outside spaces.
Many gardens are constructed around a focal point, a technique also commonly used in inside spaces. An interior designer can help you enhance your garden by making a focal point. This could be an outdoor pool, a pizza oven or a BBQ.
If you’re looking for an interior designer for your indoor or outdoor project, The Society of British & International Interior Design can help. Our members have the training, experience and expertise to deliver a project brief to the highest professional standards. You can use our Designer Directory to browse an extensive database of accredited interior designers for your needs. You can search by location, keyword and specialism to find a designer near you that you can collaborate with to achieve your vision.
To find out more about SBID and how an interior designer can help with your design project, visit our website today.
Cover image credits: Fenton Whelan - Lonsdale Road, Notting Hill
The modern and contemporary furniture brand, Viva Lagoon has recently launched a range of new furniture lines that will help customers maximise their outdoor space and create a stylish and sustainable escape in their own garden.
Viva Lagoon are the retailer of a range of high-quality garden furniture brands that have continued to launch new and exciting lines this season. Existing brands include Vincent Sheppard, Talenti and Gloster, who have launched their Lento, George, and Saranacc collections, respectively. In addition, the online retailer has started supplying new brands such as Isimar, Vondom, and Diabla.
These exciting new brands that have been added to the Viva Lagoon roster all share a similar passion for sustainability, which is a theme that permeates through the luxury retailer’s business. For example, Diabla use 100% recycled and recyclable material in their Galvanized steel and aluminium products, as well as Vondom who use their unique ‘Revolution’ material which is made from recycled plastic from the Mediterranean.
New technology in furniture manufacturing has led the way for Viva Lagoon’s brands to prioritize the environment at all stages of their production process. With advancements that allow manufacturers to develop new, sustainable materials and recent technological innovations, brands have been able to repurpose and give a second life to pre-used plastic products that would have otherwise ended up in landfill.
Viva Lagoon carefully select brands and products that fuse contemporary and traditional, with functionality and durability at the heart of everything they do to provide the best quality products for their customers possible. The beautifully crafted and timelessly elegant furniture pieces are revolutionising any pre-conceived notion of what garden furniture is and looks like. Each of Viva Lagoon’s brands have created show-stopping products in sublimely sophisticated designs that make garden furniture look like indoor furniture without compromising on weatherproofing and durability.
Popular new collections include the timeless leaf collection from Talenti that includes luxe leather and velvet scatter cushions for outdoors, plus tabletops and dining tables that feature the brand’s signature compact laminate that comes in a range of attractive colours and textures. The brand has also recently launched their Reef Sunbed and exquisite George Collection.
Kheira Benchekor, managing director at Viva Lagoon says, “Over the past year our existing furniture brands have launched some beautiful collections that are shaking up what typical garden furniture looks like and brings a sustainable spin to traditional designs. We’re also thrilled to be working with new brands, Vondom, Isimar and Diabla, who all come from Spain and share our mission of creating beautiful and functional garden furniture. We can’t wait to see what else they launch over the coming months.”
To find out more about Viva Lagoon and shop their new arrivals, visit www.vivalagoon.com.
About Viva Lagoon
Viva Lagoon was started by Kheira Benchekor and Edmund Eldergill. Kheira has a passion for good design and over twenty years experience in the modern furniture industry. Edmund is a perfectionist and brings attention to detail and a resolute desire to make the good better. Lagoon is committed to offering for sale contemporary furniture that exhibits the best in modern design. It is equally committed to dealing with customers and suppliers fairly and ethically.
In this week's interview with 2021 SBID Awards winners for the Outdoor Product Design category, Belgard, discusses key industry changes, gives advice for designing outdoor spaces and introduces more of their innovative outdoor products.
SBID Awards Category: Outdoor Product
Practice: Belgard
Entry: Artforms/Artex
Joe: We certainly appreciate the visibility that comes from receiving international industry recognition for our work. Beyond marketing opportunities, an award of this magnitude is very exciting for Belgard because it validates our approach to design, as we are transforming our portfolio to be much more design centric. It is also important to us to tell the story behind our products.
It’s recognition like the SBID awards that will help us connect to local architect and design communities across the world. This is helpful as we look to launch the Artforms system in Europe next year.
Joel: From a research and development perspective, Artforms’ design is a game changer. It is the first modular concrete panel system that can be used in a variety of applications for outdoor living spaces. The modularity of the system offers simplicity and a modern design that contractors around the world are looking for today.
Joe: The innovative approach behind the flexibility and versatility of Artforms directly aligns with current outdoor living design trends. It provides a clean, contemporary look, which was historically very expensive and time consuming to achieve, in a new, more cost-effective way.
Joel: The thought process behind the Artforms concept was to create larger format panels that can be installed vertically to maximize efficiency. The modular design also achieves the simplicity that aligns with ongoing trends in outdoor living design.
Previous techniques needed to achieve a more modern, linear aesthetic were extremely labor intensive. Artforms modular design provides the ideal aesthetic result in a fraction of the time and cost.
Joe: My advice for designers approaching outdoor spaces is that it’s critical to consider the connection with the home and how both spaces function together. People often look at it as separate environments, but the best designs blur the line and make a physical and visual connection with the exterior. When you look at materials especially, if you’re able to pull interior materials outdoors or vice versa to make sure it ties into the architecture and flow of the home, that is where we see the most success. Artforms goes a long way toward achieving that. With interior design trending more modern, Artforms extends that flow to the exterior.
Joel: Interior design trends tend to move faster when compared to outdoor living design, which usually adapts as it follows slowly behind interior trends. We saw the trend of larger format and concrete design becoming more popular and were able to predict this now ideal modular design bleeding into the backyard. The concrete look is popular indoors, with many iterations of porcelain tile with a concrete look that can be easily matched to Artforms in outdoor spaces.
Joel: Artforms as a system, has a few next steps as we roll out a variety of applications, parts and new finishes/textures that are easily integrated into this system for personalized configurations. These additional compatible features allow the modularity to extend into the whole outdoor space with one comprehensive design. One example is the privacy panel that is part of the Artforms ecosystem.
Belgard continues to make outdoor living spaces more efficient and functional, especially with the increased interest from homeowners. We want to be able to offer all the products and features to outdoor living spaces complete and feel like “home.” Our new Elements line of products fills this need. In addition to our modular outdoor fire features and grill islands, Elements is also a collection of stainless appliances and fixtures including cooking, storage, bar and sink accessory features that make outdoor living areas – specifically kitchen and dining spaces – feel complete.
Looking at what’s next, we’re excited to share our patented system with select communities in Europe within the next year. Artforms is currently available in the United States, Canada (Artforms/Artex), and Belgium (Moodul Creation).
Joe: Designers often get caught up on the artistic side of design or focus too much on products, creating a narrowed approach. My advice for young designers would be to not prioritize your personal goals. Understanding the consumers’ needs and lifestyle is critical, and you can work from that point to create the perfect design. If you can integrate new ideas, that’s great, but only if it’s the right fit. There is no need to push a certain look at the expense of the consumers.
Questions answered by Joe Raboine, Director of Residential Hardscapes, and Joel Remillard, R&D Hardscape Group Leader, Belgard.
Since 1995, Belgard's locally made and nationally backed products have transformed thousands of residential and commercial properties across North America. They strive to improve our products by spending more than 20,000 hours in research and development every year. Perfecting new products keeps them aligned to current design trends and places Belgard on the cutting edge of manufacturing techniques and technologies.
If you missed last week's Interview with the category Office Design winner 4 SPACE Design, click here to read it.
The beach house in sunny Barbados, on which Celia Sawyer and her design team had been working on, was a total refurbishment. The house was dated, with a pitched roof and internally not very beach like.
In charge of the whole design inside and out, Celia wanted to create a really simple, textured beach house, contemporary and cool. Her vision was that outdoor living was key here as the days and nights are very warm, so she wanted to create an outdoor living and dining area. The original house was completely opened up and the only areas existing were the exterior side walls. Everything was kept light and a stone effect tile was used to create some texture on the front and back of the house.
The bedrooms were given a recess so that the room could be given a four-poster type of feel without the four poster bed, using elegant soft curtaining on each corner giving the room height combined with glamour.
Wishing to add some drama in this room Celia decided on a very dark brown - almost black back feature wall, which was textured plaster, creating interest. The artwork was a large piece of coral in a large perspex box, and thankfully it made it in the container all the way from the UK in one piece! In fact as Barbados is an Island with limited supplies, Celia had to ship out every item, including taps, w/c’s sinks, lights, even the w/c flush and all the furniture and kitchen.
Celia used white in colour and loose covers for much of the furniture, and the bathrooms were made white with textured walls, to keep it with that cool, beach vibe. She also created a bar area outside, as it is the perfect country for outdoor entertaining; the outside areas were put into zones, so that there was faux grass in one area with a four poster bed, a jacuzzi tub in another and then, of course, the bar and the outdoor living and dining rooms.
The six-month project was a labour of love and a real success, and just in case the client wanted to put another floor on top, Celia designed the upper floor so that everything is in place for that if it happens. Another trip over to Barbados could be on the cards for Celia very soon!
About Celia Sawyer
Founded some 20 years ago, Celia Sawyer Interior Architecture And Design have been discreetly providing both private and commercial clients with bespoke, ground breaking luxury interiors, turning dreams into practical day-to-day reality. Their ethos is clear, distinct and straightforward - “To interpret their partners' ideas, ambitions and requirements with flair, passion, innovation and excitement, executing and delivering projects with diligent attention to detail and timely professional execution”.
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Michael Caines’ much-anticipated new casual hospitality concept – Mickeys Beach Bar and Restaurant – has officially opened on Exmouth beach. With stunning panoramic views across the Devon coastline and up through the Exe Estuary, the venue sits in harmony with its surroundings, having been brought to life by interior designers, Design Command.
A landmark opening for Michael – Chef Owner of Michelin starred Lympstone Manor - this casual bar and restaurant offers a relaxed space for drinking and dining and is a welcome addition to the Michael Caines Collection. Across the backdrop of the Exmouth shoreline, Mickeys boasts spacious seating outdoors and a retractable glass terrace, as well as a bright indoor restaurant and bar with booths and cosy corners for cocktails and casual fare.
Inspired by the lively beach bars in Ibiza and Greece, Design Command have designed the interiors of both Mickeys Beach Bar and Restaurant as places to relax and unwind by the coast, evoking an overall sense of escapism.
Due to the proximity to Exmouth beach and its recognition as a place of outstanding natural beauty, it was imperative that Mickeys celebrated this notion through sustainable design choices. As such, environmentally low-impact products are used throughout. The tiles are made from 98% recycled material and reclaimed timber cladding has been used for the restaurant’s showcase ceiling and sunbeam feature wall.
It was of equal importance to utilise local businesses in the sourcing of design elements, with many of the lighting features, planting areas, table caddies and interior artworks all produced in the area. Continuing the sustainable ethos throughout the property, Mickeys has committed to reducing single-use plastics, sourcing products and packaging that are biodegradable and utilising the most local produce available to reduce carbon emissions.
On the ground floor, Mickeys Bar has found home, offering a more casual dining and drinking affair. Here, the layout has been designed to give the impression of being in the open air. Outdoor chairs combined with soft seating that has been upholstered in comfortable outdoor fabrics feature throughout. A tonal blue and white colour palette has been used to compliment the surroundings and create a feeling of calm, whilst pops of orange add vibrancy. Bamboo ceilings matched with the combination of both polished and textured natural stone make up the statement beach bar statement.
Connecting the two floors is a sand-coloured metal staircase, adorned with a statement rope chandelier. The metal finish featured here and throughout both the bar and restaurant have various patina effects applied to echo the non-polished finishes found along the coast.
Upstairs in the restaurant, the scene is bold and bright as the design looks to intertwine with the sweeping views across the bay. As such, the seating layout has been designed to maximise the views of the beach and lighting features throughout reflect the nautical through the use of linen, rope and weathered metal. With the adjacent terrace, Design Command opted for outdoor paving on the floor and the walls are clad in decorative framed mirrors to reflect the stunning views. A combination of interior and exterior furniture was chosen in this space to add extra comfort whilst dining beachside. In addition, the retractable roof opens up to provide a sumptuous al-fresco experience for all guests to enjoy, whatever the weather.
Together, Design Command and Michael Caines hope that guests are truly delighted by the design of Mickeys Beach Bar and Restaurant, whether they are visiting for the first time, tenth time or simply passing by.
About Design Command Design Command is an award winning London & Hertfordshire based Interior Architecture Studio founded in 2013 by Clare McDonald. Over 13 years Clare's projects included designing for 5 star hotels and more recently over 50 restaurants as well as Student Hotels, high-end residential schemes and Boutique offices. Since its inception, Design Command has quickly grown to several designers working on restaurants and hotels across the United Kingdom and Europe.
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Sponsors of the SBID International Design Awards for the Club & Bar Design category, Oxley's Furniture provide durable outdoor furniture solutions which are premium in quality and timeless in design. The Managing Director, Simon Hudson tells us more about how their products and services help designers extend the interior design vision to encompass exterior environments.
What are the origins of your brand?
Oxley’s was started 28 years ago to create timeless outdoor furniture impervious to the weather. Inspired by the longevity of classic cast English garden furniture the company developed ways to personalise aluminium furniture for each customer. In the years since, Oxley’s has developed a worldwide niche market providing a service for interior designers to take their design ideas outside. Large residential and boutique hospitality projects are our forte.
How do you work with interior designers?
From site visits to prototyping bespoke furniture, the Oxley’s team can be as involved with a project as much or as little as our customer wishes. Designers choose which Oxley’s collection works best for their project, then every item is made specifically for every job with the aluminium frame finished in exactly the colour specified. With cushions added, made with any exterior grade fabric from any of the fabric houses, each project is unique.
We also have an extensive portfolio of curated products from elite brands and often work closely with our clients to select items for their projects. Our services range from producing all technical drawings for bespoke projects, to personally organising and supervising shipping and installation.
What value does your sector add to the interior design industry?
Where the client has not included the outside as part of the interior project brief, working with Oxley’s can demonstrate how the interior design can be extended to the exterior environment, thereby enlarging the project.
How does your offering enhance an interior designer’s projects?
Outdoor living & entertaining is often part of the design brief. Oxley’s offer designers a service which allows them to extend their ideas from the inside to the outside, or even create a completely different feel to the project's exterior spaces.
What are the latest trends you’ve noticed in your client’s requests?
Although every project is different, there does seem to be a trend away from the sleek minimalist look outdoors to a more classical feel, particularly encouraged by the amazing profusion of fascinating outdoor fabrics from all the major houses.
Why did you want to become a sponsor for the SBID Awards?
Interior Designers are our partners in everything we make. Their creations are our business, so it is right that we should support them by sponsoring an SBID Award which recognises their incredible achievements.
Sponsorship for the SBID International Design Awards 2020 is now open.
To find out more about becoming an SBID Awards sponsor next year click here or email [email protected]
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